Greek Police Arrest Pakistanis Holding 16 Migrants Hostage

Hellenic Police on Saturday arrested three Pakistani nationals for holding 16 undocumented migrants hostage and demanding money for their release.

The perpetrators were holding the hostages in a farmhouse outside Thessaloniki. Thirteen of the hostages were also Pakistanis with three minors among them. There were also two people from India and one from Nepal among the captives.

According to police the migrants had entered Greece illegally coming from Turkey about two weeks ago. The Pakistanis who kept them hostage were members of a human trafficking ring and were demanding 2,500 euros from each migrant in order to release them.

On Saturday, one of the hostages managed to escape and notified police who surrounded the farmhouse and arrested the traffickers the same night.

Police Arrest 4 Migrants for knife and club possession

In an operation at the migrant camp of Halkeio on Chios island, the Regional Police Directorate of the North Aegean discovered illegal weapons in the possession of migrants.

Police brought in a total of 24 migrants who were suspected of various offenses. Four of them were eventually arrested for having five knives, a switch blade and five clubs in their possession. Another one was arrested for carrying 313 grams of contraband tobacco.